Juvenile Notogoneus osculus | Green River Formation | Wyoming

Notogoneus osculusEocene (51.98 Million Years Ago)Private Quarry, Green River Formation, Wyoming, USAObtained from the collection of Dr. William Rieger   Specimen approx. size: 7.25"Matrix approx. size: 12" x 10" This piece has had minimal restoration.   Beaked Sandfish - Notogoneus osculus Order Gonorynchiformes, Family GonorynchidaeN. osculus was the last survivor of the Gonorynchiformes order in North America. There are 5 modern species in the Gonorynchidae family. They inhabit tropical marine regions of the Indo-Pacific Oceans.Very young juveniles and large adults are the only N. osculus specimens found from Fossil Lake. This could indicate that N. osculus was a migratory species. Their lifecycle may have consisted of: Hatching in Fossil Lake Migrating to connecting streams to mature Returning to Fossil Lake as an adult to spawn and die N. osculus had a down-turned, sucker-like mouth. Its toothless mouth suggests that this was a bottom-feeding species. The highly salty water con